Howard to host meet-and-greet with school board member, county administrator, school superintendent
Beaufort County Council Member Alice Howard (District 4) will host a joint meet and greet with Beaufort County Board of Education member Tricia Fidrych (District 4) from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Beaufort Middle School at 2501 Mossy Oaks Road.
Guests will be Beaufort County Administrator Ashley Jacobs and Beaufort County School Superintendent Dr. Frank Rodriguez.
The meeting will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room. The meeting is open to the general public.
Residents do not need to register in advance for the meeting. For more information, please contact Howard by email at ahoward@bcgov.net, by phone at 843-255-2202 (office) or 843-986-7403 (mobile) or by mail at c/o Clerk to Council, Beaufort County, P.O, Box 1228 Beaufort, SC 29901.
Federal government removes plutonium from S.C.
On Wednesday, Aug. 7 the U.S. Department of Energy provided notice that it has removed not less than one metric ton of plutonium from South Carolina in accordance with the injunction obtained by the State from Federal District Judge Michelle Childs.
Congress passed a law requiring that the plutonium be removed from the Savannah River Site by January 1, 2016 if the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Facility’s production objective was not met by January 1, 2014. That objective was not met, and the State of South Carolina sued the Department of Energy in 2016.
The District Court sided with the State and ordered that one metric ton of plutonium be removed by January 1, 2020. The Department of Energy appealed to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the District Court’s order.
Attorney General Alan Wilson, who brought the lawsuit against the federal government and the Department of Energy, said in a release, “Today’s news that one ton of weapons-grade plutonium has been removed from the state is a victory for South Carolinians and the rule of law. The Department of Energy disregarded many of its obligations to the State, and this outcome confirms the State will not sit idly by while the Department does so. We will continue enforce the law and hold the federal government to its commitments to South Carolina and its citizens.”
Beaufort returns to drought status
The S.C. Drought Response Committee, meeting via conference call on Aug. 12, upgraded the drought status for 33 counties in the state, and Beaufort County was one of nine counties upgraded from normal to incipient, the first level of drought. The others are Anderson, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, Oconee and Pickens.
Beaufort County spraying for mosquitoes
Beaufort County Mosquito Control may conduct aerial and/or ground mosquito treatments through Aug. 16. Mosquito Control applies EPA-registered public health insecticide during ideal weather using low-flying aircraft throughout daylight hours and spray trucks from about 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. For additional information, contact Mosquito Control at 843-255-5800.
New episode of Coastline focuses on storm prep
A new episode of The County Channel’s series Coastline discusses the importance of storm preparation in case of natural disasters and evacuation. Discussion also covers the best way to stay informed with accurate emergency information, and how Beaufort County departments work together to prepare for emergency situations, to include evacuations and re-entry after a disaster.
Joining host Suzanne Larson is Beaufort County Disaster Recovery Coordinator Pamela Cobb, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Emergency Management Division (EMD) Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Neil Baxley, BCSO Public Information Officer Major Bob Bromage, and Ron Morales, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston.
Coastline airs on The County Channel Sundays at 9:30 a.m., Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., and Fridays at 9 a.m. Coastline is a monthly news show filmed in-studio and produced by The County Channel.
Watch all programming for The County Channel on Comcast Ch. 2, Hargray Chs. 9 and 113, and Spectrum Ch. 1304. Viewers can also watch programming live and on-demand at The County Channel’s website at www.beaufortcountysc.gov.
